CHICAGO – Seven DePaul programs were recognized with Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA for having multi-year Academic Performance Rate (APR) scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. Women's basketball, men’s golf, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis were all recognized by the NCAA with DePaul standing as one of 61 schools in the nation with multiple teams earning the honors in each of the last eight years. The APR measures academic progress and retention of student-athletes receiving any measure of athletically-based scholarship assistance.

DePaul's total of seven teams honored represents the third-best total among all BIG EAST Conference schools. Women's basketball, softball and women's tennis picked up the recognition for the eighth straight year while the golf team was honored for the seventh time in eight years. The seven teams are a high for the second straight year after having six teams earn the honor in 2004-05 and 2009-10.

The women’s basketball program is just one of four teams nationally to earn the honor the last eight years along with Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton.

Each year, the NCAA tracks the classroom performance of student-athletes on every Division I team through the annual scorecard of academic achievement, known as APR. The rate measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic performance in each sport. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-2012 academic years.

A total of 976 teams earned the NCAA Public Recognition Award with 594 women’s teams and 382 men’s or mixed squads. Out of 346 Division I programs, a total of 268 schools placed at least one team on the APR list.

The BIG EAST Conference produced 72 teams led by Georgetown and Notre Dame with 14 programs apiece. DePaul’s seven teams were the third-highest total followed by six from Villanova and five from Seton Hall and Syracuse.

Full APRs for all teams, including access to postseason play and penalties for low-performing teams, will be released June 11.